The
UAE submitted a report on The 2nd Conference of GCC Women Parliamentarians
and Women at Decision Making Positions (Oct. 30th and 31st, 2007) to the
Inter-Parliament Union (IPU).
The said conference is the second of a series of regional events organized by
the IPU aimed at providing a forum for women parliamentarians and women
political decision makers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the
United Arab Emirates and Yemen. It examined the role and input of women
legislators and the mechanisms to promote women's access to parliament. It
will also provide a space for exchange on the best practices on mainstreaming
gender in parliament.
The report was submitted by Dr Amal Al- Qubaisi, Member of the Federal
National Council (FNC) at the current 118th Assembly of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union which is being held at the Cape Town International
Convention Centre (CTICC) in Cape Town, South Africa.
For the first time ever, said Al- Qubaisi, the conference provided a platform
to women parliamentarians in member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) to get together to discuss challenges as well as critical issues such
as migrant workers, people trafficking, xenophobia and human rights as well
as to exchange best practices on mainstreaming gender in parliament,
strengthen women's knowledge of political processes; promote an exchange of
experience between women from similar cultural and political backgrounds;
maintain visibility on the question of women in politics, and encourage
continuous participation of women in the political arena.
The said conference was hosted by the UAE's Federal National Council (FNC) in
collaboration with the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).
The 118th Assembly which concludes today has discussed the role of
parliaments in striking a balance between national security, human security
and individual freedoms, and in averting the threat to democracy,
parliamentary oversight of State policies on foreign aid.